Alec Atteberry: Unarmed victims in France

As I drove home from a dove hunting trip, I learned about the attacks in Paris. My heart sank as I read the news of the bombings and shootings.

However, the shooting at the Bataclan theater angered me as I read the pleas for a police rescue. The patrons were at the complete mercy of the terrorists and the police, disarmed by France’s strict firearm regulations.

While the attacks in Paris were sudden and devastating, it is hard to believe that armed citizens would not have lessened the damage. France has some of the strictest gun-control laws in Europe; it requires background checks and licensing renewal, and there is a ban on any military-style weapons as well as prison time for firearms offenses.

Despite these measures, several terrorists managed to obtain AK-47 rifles and explosives, which calls into question the effectiveness of the country’s gun-control measures and gun-control measures in general.

By taking away individuals’ rights to defend themselves, it also eliminates the possibility that they could stop an attack from unfolding. Measures that restrict the use of firearms only harm the population in events like this.

This story was originally published December 5, 2015 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Alec Atteberry: Unarmed victims in France."